Shiro Usagi - The White Rabbit
by A Glimpse of Ethereal Blue
Summary: Special Episode. Sets on Dreamcatcher. Sora and Sephiroth receive a very special visit... that peculiar rodent seems to have a purpose. [CoverArt:Yamillian]
1. AN

_**Author's Note**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Another little episode that sets somewhere in the plot of Dreamcatcher – if you didn't read the original story, it's hard to understand the logic of the events.<strong>_

_**It was written specifically for Yamilian, one of the readers that participated in the Dreamcatcher First-Kiss challenge. This special episode was the Prize. The winner gave me permission to post the episode here.**_

_**Yamilian asked me to write something that involved the little rabbit that occasionally wanders around during the story. I thought that the little fellow could play an important part in (re)uniting our mystic couple. Well, this was the result. Originally, I thought of inserting a little of the rabbit's POV but honestly I didn't manage much more than… carrots and well, more carrots. I guess a rabbit's mind mustn't be much imaginative than that. (LOL) Okay.**_

_**I can only hope you enjoy it as much as I did.**_

_**So, once again, I invite you in.**_

_**Have fun***_

_**Oh and, feel free to review. As always, your comments are most appreciated.**_


	2. Shiro Usagi

**Shiro Usagi**

"**The white rabbit"**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Dreamcather Fanfiction Special Episode<strong>_

_**Written for Yamilian (DeviantArt User) as a reward for participating at the "First-kiss" Dreamcatcher Challenge**_

_"Oh dear, oh dear!"__Said the Rabbit. "I shall be too late!"_

_And so, when the White Rabbit ran away,_

_Alice wanted to see what would happen to it:_

_So she ran after it, and she ran, and she ran, till she tumbled__, _

_right down the rabbit-hole._

From: "Alice in Wonderland."

* * *

><p><strong>Sora <strong>

* * *

><p>I sighed loudly, for the tenth time this morning.<p>

Today I felt particularly restless. It seemed that there was something inside me – like worms or whatever thing alike – that kept me from being still and calm.

I knew why that was. The reason was always the same.

_Him_.

He was always the reason for everything. With bad or good mood. It always depended on the face he showed when I saw him - usually at lunch time.

But today – oh, today! - I didn't know what on Earth was going on with me. I moved quickly all over the house, up and down, to the basement and up again, and I couldn't afford to get that sense of nervousness off me. Not even working hard since 8 a.m.

Today, when I got up, he wasn't at home – for a change. It seemed to me that he was leaving the house earlier, but there was no way for me to be sure of that, because I was always sleeping like the dead when he left in the morning.

I prepared lasagna for lunch. It took me some time to find and arrange all the ingredients, but I managed to do it. Now, it was time to make the salad. Yes, the General seemed to enjoy multicolored salads. And I enjoyed making them, not only because they tasted good and were very healthy, but mainly because – making a salad implied something that I rather enjoyed: going outside.

Yeah well, it was a little ridiculous. The vegetable garden was right next to the house – but it was outside, not inside. And that was a plus.

Outside meant fresh air. Outside meant sun (not always). Outside meant… being close to animals. Rodents. Rabbits, for instance.

Opening the kitchen doors that lead to the porch, I allowed myself some time breathing in the fresh air of the mountains. It felt somehow healing, that pure, icy air.

Not a minute passed and I sensed some movement right next to me – at my right side.

A furry little creature greeted me with expressive eyes and nose. I smiled instantaneously. This white rabbit was so funny, so nice to me, it was impossible not to be fond of it.

Well, at least there was someone… uh, something that enjoyed my company in this place, since the General clearly disliked it.

My smile faded reflexively. It was something that made me sad. Sad, not only because I seemed to have developed… hum… feelings for him, but also because I didn't understand his reasons. If he didn't want my company, why bring me with him? Yeah, it was a great question, but I didn't dare to ask or say anything about the matter.

The scarce times I tried to bring up the issue… he ignored me. And it hurt – his indifference, his constant walking by without even noticing I was there while I … well, felt this unexplainable attachment to him.

Okay, enough ranting about someone that obviously didn't care for me. I should care more for the rodent that now was staring at me like "_What_?". Yeah, I should.

It was practically glued to my right boot as I crouched. The movement seemed to scare it a little but, then, after some time of excessively-cute-voice calling at it, the white furry thing approached me, lazily, as if it was prospecting the territory ahead.

"Come here, little fella." I said, whispering at it, my hand close to it.

Its nose was the first thing touching my fingers. It tickled immensely, and it made me laugh. Really, I was laughing – it was something I wasn't used to do, for a long time.

After some time, the little furry thing allowed me to touch it and, to my surprise, it jumped to my lap.

"Oh!" I said, laughing again, without knowing what to do besides stroking that white fur that seemed like a consistent snow ball cozily resting in my lap.

"What should I call you?" I said, while its eyes questioned me, probably with thoughts of carrots and green vegetables. "Fluffy?" I laughed, considering how ridiculous it sounded. God, no. Maybe something more original. "Hum… how about… _snowflake_?"

The rabbit seemed to understand what I was saying. Its nose constantly moving, tickling the palm of my hand, felt like it was agreeing with me. Maybe the rodent actually liked me.

"Okay, Snowflake it is." I said, smiling.

I got up, with Snowflake in my hands. I was headed to the vegetable garden, trying to find the right components of today's salad.

Impatient, Snowflake sprinted and it seemed to be having a great time running around and making small runs next to me. I laughed, it was funny seeing it so rushed up – it looked like the rabbit was doing it on purpose to make me laugh.

After our amusing adventure in the search for carrots, tomatoes and cucumbers, I went inside, with Snowflake on my tale. Well, that could pose a serious problem.

"No" I said. "You can't come in. The General won't like that." I whispered, still standing in the porch. The rabbit stopped and looked at me, expectant.

_I wonder if this animal can actually comprehend me_…, my mind projected. It was somehow curious, how the rabbit seemed to, actually, _understand_ what I was saying. It was weird, honestly. But if I get to think about it, the General also was beyond weird and I lived with him. Well, kind of. Not actually live, but more like… co-exist with him. Yeah, something like that.

"I'm sorry, Snowy. No can do." I said, with the most… tender voice I could manage to do, hoping I wouldn't ruin the only friendship I seem to have built in this place.

"After lunch, okay?" I promised, touching its fluffy, soft, pointy ears, and closing the kitchen doors that lead to the porch. Through the glass, I saw Snowflake looking at me, while I deposited the vegetables inside the dish-washer. For a couple of times, I looked - the rabbit was still there. I wondered what would go inside that rodent's head. Hum, maybe something close to "_Why doesn't she let me in?_" but hey, there was no way I was going to get a rabbit inside the house without _his_ permission. It was his house, after all… and I wouldn't be capable of making such decision without asking him first.

Especially with the terrible mood he seemed to be on lately. I almost felt like I was afraid of simply existing, when he was nearby.

I had known people with "special personalities" but I had to admit the General won, miles away from everybody. I didn't know what seemed to annoy him so deeply lately, but he was simply insupportable. When his eyes met mine, daggers seemed to fly from him to me. I didn't know why he was so touchy… I wondered what I could – eventually – had done wrong but… as always, I couldn't recall a thing I could possibly have done to justify such attitude.

I didn't know if it could have something to do with what had happened three days ago.

A terrible storm had surprised us. Rain, thunder and lightning, including no power during most part of the evening and the whole night. The lights had been completely out. And we talked. We talked, sitting, half-entangled, resting against the headboard of his bead, under the candle light, under his hold. We talked about his past, Jenova and his regrets. He opened a bit of his life to me and I liked the sensation – _sharing_ with him had proven to be something very gratifying. And, after that, our boundaries became foggy. Again. And again.

_That_ tended to occur, recently. Sometimes, he surprised me with unexpected affection; sometimes, his unpredictability became terribly tender. Once in a while, he seemed to change and his face showed a transparency that made me surrender to him.

That night, it happened again. Out of nothing, he held me gently. Out of thin air, he was whispering in my ears words that meant everything… and, at the same time…, nothing at all. His questions, his actions. God, it drove me crazy.

Closing my eyes and exhaling loudly, I shook my head.

_Don't go that way Sora. It's bad for your mental health_…, my mind joked.

When I opened my eyes I faced the vegetables, properly washed and ready to be transformed into a tasty salad. Reflexively, my eyes went to the kitchen doors, still expecting to see a fluffy furry thing outside staring at me.

But what I found wasn't exactly that.

I found _him _instead. Outside the kitchen doors, he occupied the whole space available. I couldn't see anything besides him – not the green of the forest, not the rocky colors of the mountains – but only _him_, his form, his shape. For a fraction of second, he looked like _her_ – Jenova – but when I blinked again, that alien volatility was gone and he was very much himself, as usual: a frown on his face and a not-so-friendly attitude. Through the glass, his stare met mine and I shuddered. His stare could be very incapacitating, sometimes.

Quickly, he stepped in and closed the doors behind him. By now, my hands were busy chopping the vegetables and disposing it neatly in a plate. My face remained focused in what I was doing.

Seconds passed by and the silence was deafening. Then, his slow, audible steps sounded behind me.

_Where is he going_?

I heard him remove his jacket. I realized he was preparing himself to have lunch – most likely alone. Since he was in such a bad mood lately, I always made up some excuse for not being around him during meal time. It would be very uncomfortable.

He probably knew I was constantly making up situations to be away from him… but I had the feeling it was exactly what he wanted. He put that terrible mask to make me feel uncomfortable and… to back away from him.

Once I was done with the salad, I prepared his plate. I removed the lasagna from the oven, cut a good portion of it and I put it in his plate, decorating it with lots of salad. I figured he must be hungry – after all, he had left home very early, he had to be starving.

Turning away from the counter, I put the food in front of him. He was already sat. I realized he had already fork and knife on the table, and a huge glass of orange juice. His eyes seemed to be lost in something far away from the kitchen we both were at.

"There you have it." I said, almost whispering. I didn't want to look at him, nor his face, so that I couldn't feel that pang in my chest when he behaved so uncaringly with me. However, I felt it anyway. And it hurt like hell.

"Thank you." He suddenly said, my eyes finding his, too quickly for my benefit. Thankfully, it was a fast glance. Or my eyes would have betrayed me.

I didn't answer him. I simply nodded.

I didn't want to say anything else. I just wanted to concoct the most credible justification to leave the kitchen as fast as possible. I tried to do so when I was putting the lasagna inside the oven again, and covering the fresh salad with another plate, so that I could eat in peace – alone -, after he left for the afternoon. His sudden voice startled me.

"What was so funny?"

His tone was serious. He wasn't joking.

"What?" I said, my eyes searching his. I had to look at him, it was inevitable. What was he talking about?

"I heard you laugh." He said. "Consistently."

The way he reinforced the way I was laughing, according to his perspective, almost made me grunt in response. Oh, come on, now I wasn't allowed laugh? And how did he hear me, anyway? What, supersonic hearing powers were a gift from Jenova as well?

"I was outside."

"I know."

"If you know that, then you know why I was laughing."

"You were laughing at someone. Who?"

_Oh, pleeeease_! What, was he jealous? Well, if that was the case… it was a good sign. Apparently I should have laughed more often out in the open.

"No one human."

His eyes answered me with an absolute censuring gaze. Okay so, I had to tell him I was having fun with a rabbit… juggling. For God's sake, a rabbit! This was mortifying. Not to mention that it was very difficult to put into words. Well, it wasn't just difficult – it was complicated for me to say such thing without making a fool out of myself.

"I was out here to get the vegetables to make the salad. And some rabbits came up and… they were funny. They made me laugh."

His face couldn't be more neutral.

"There's nothing wrong with that, I think." I said, not realizing why was I justifying myself for something so trivial. This was more than military discipline; this was obsession. _Paranoia_.

"I didn't say it was wrong." He said, calm as ever. Right, he didn't. But the way he was questioning me, the tone he was applying… it transpired _wrongness_ all over.

"I'm glad then." I said, leaving his eyes and turning to face the counter again, my hands busy with the plates and the dishes. God, I wondered when, when was he going to stop with this bad temper, which seemed to last forever? I was going to put some elements in the refrigerator, when I heard his voice once more. The coldness of his tone was the worst thing to bear without feeling hurt.

"Don't let them inside the house. They nibble everything they find."

"Don't worry," I said, fighting with the terrible pressure that seemed to built inside my eye orbits. I didn't bother looking at him. "I won't let _anything_ in."

I sensed his stare on me, on my back, while I opened and closed the refrigerator door and made my way out of the kitchen. Once again, I didn't look at him when I passed by him and said my last words of what was left of the morning.

"Enjoy your meal."

Closing the kitchen door behind me, I went to my room. Before I knew it, tears fell as I allowed myself to rest against the bedroom door and bend a little forward, hoping to find some relief at this position. I didn't want to make any noise; I didn't want him to know I was crying.

Although I had a feeling he could perfectly hear the muffled sobs I tried to conceal, with my mouth closed and both my hands covering it.

_Can you hear my tears hitting the ground_?

_Can you smell them_?

_Can you feel what I feel_?

My mind cried, tossing at him angry words that would never come out, that he would never hear.

_How I wished things were different_.

_How I wished you cared for me_.

The tone of my mental voice went from angry to despair in a blink of an eye. I felt tired. Tired of so much inconsistency, of so much injustice. His coldness was, literally, killing me… slowly, torturing me.

I was still standing – when I heard a door opening. It was the kitchen door.

_Oh, shit_.

Without thinking, I threw myself to my bed. With the back of my hands, I cleaned, as I could, the tears off my face and I lied down, covering me partially with the bed cover.

_Please, go away. Don't get in here. Leave me alone_.

My mind pleaded, words spaced with his footsteps. I could almost imagine him walking, slowly, not rushing the moment that would follow. Something was telling me he was going to meet me – now. He wouldn't wait. He wouldn't falter. I knew it… because I knew him too well by now.

With my heartbeat hammering inside my chest, I heard him stop next to my door. Silence followed for a moment. Then, there was something touching the door. It looked like he was sensing the door, every component of the wood that was part of it… until he reached the doorknob.

I felt my eyes close with desolation.

_Oh, God_…, my mind conceived, …_Don't torture me anymore_.

However the odds were against me. I heard him opening the door, slowly. I had my back to the door – I couldn't see a thing. But, if I could, I bet I would see his fair face looking at me with a winner facade all over it. Another victory for him, the General, for making me cry.

"I know you're not sleeping." He said, now closing the door behind him. Now, with the door closed, the bedroom was immersed in a dim light, since the blinds were half-closed. Me, him, in a shadowy environment? Not good. Not good at all.

"You're right," I said, not knowing where I got the strength to answer him with such firm voice. "I'm not sleeping _anymore_. What is it?"

There. It was all I could say. Ask him what he wanted. And hope that he would leave my bedroom soon.

"I can't find the salt."

_You have got to be kidding me_. I even bugged my eyes at that one.

"Second drawer on the left." I said, after a few moments. I didn't move and I couldn't hear him move as well. All I could see was the details of the window, the details of that part of my bedroom I seemed to be so interested in right now.

For some eternal seconds, I wondered if he was there at all. I could only hear myself breathing, I could only hear my own beating heart.

Out of nothing, I heard his voice again.

"I am sorry."

I felt a pang in my chest. My eyes closed reflexively. Now, what would follow? How would this conversation end?

"There's nothing to be sorry of." I affirmed, trying to sound neutral and firm, but failing completely.

"I… seem to fail at… speaking my mind to you."

_Yeah, you do fail. Completely_! My mind couldn't be more sarcastic.

"Forget it."

"Why so?"

"I… need to sleep. I got up early and I am tired." I said, hoping he would leave me alone. Honestly, I couldn't understand his point.

"Did you eat?"

_What_? What was this sudden worry over me and my nutritional state?

"I'm not hungry." I declared, my body betraying my words with a loud noise coming out of my abdomen. It was like my stomach was trying to expose my innocent lie. Oh, please.

Several uncomfortable seconds passed by.

"Very well."

Thankfully, he left. Very silently. He closed the door of my bedroom and I could hear him, going back to the kitchen.

A couple of stubborn tears fell, I didn't know why. Maybe it was the stress, maybe my body was relieving some tension. All I knew was that, eventually, I fell asleep, unaware of my surroundings.

* * *

><p><strong>Shephiroth's thoughts <strong>

* * *

><p>I was definitely terrible with people.<p>

I was never too good at social relations – maybe I took that from my father, who only knew lab walls and how to be extremely unpleasant.

The last few days had been confusing to me. The nature of my impulses often led me to do things and didn't help _our_ situation. And since I had always worked on instinct, I never bothered where it lead me – because I didn't care about people's feelings.

Now it was different. She felt it differently. The things I said, my attitudes of late seemed to hurt her. Her feelings, I mean.

Today, an awkward episode had happened. I was busy, busy with my own matters, when I heard something. I heard _her_. Laughing.

Several times, I heard that sound that almost made me shiver. I had never heard such thing.

It was a beautiful sound, I had to admit. Contagious, it transpired happiness. I almost could see her face, picture her, laughing so naturally.

And I wondered, what would be the reason for it? Why was she laughing? To whom?

A terrible sensation invaded me. It was something strong, acid, caustic. It made me grunt with uneasiness. It took me some time to realize why that was. The reason was simple: that feeling would go away if I imagined she would laugh with me, if – eventually - I possessed that extraordinary power… if I could, eventually, make her smile and chuckle to me, with me, no matter the reason, that corrosive feeling would go away.

I knew what that feeling was. It was jealousy.

When I approached the house close to lunch time, I found out the reason of such amusement. Several rabbits were wandering around the house. Those nibbling little things were sometimes irritating and seemed to invade some properties around the place. I had heard several complaints of that.

But there was one rodent that seemed to be bolder than the rest. It was white, furry and… average weight. The rodent stood in front of the porch doors, the ones that lead to the kitchen. I instantly knew what he was doing. He was staring at _her_. He had been the source of so many giggling.

As I put my feet in the wooden porch, its little head turned to face me. I expected it would run away in less than a second, but – to my surprise - that didn't happen. The white rabbit simply stood, staring at me, as if it was expecting me.

I approached it. My boot was very close to it. I could easily kick it – but I didn't do that.

Instead, the rabbit jumped to my feet, looking at me. I felt somehow appalled with such reaction.

"What?" I whispered, crouching and resting my arms on my knees. Against all odds, I touched its fur – and it didn't run away. My hands grabbed it, and it didn't flinch. I stood up again, with that white fur ball in my hands, which seem to transmit me some information I wasn't able to decode.

Its eyes – expressive, so strangely friendly, seemed to _talk_ to me. It was a strange sensation.

A sudden rush next to me seemed to startle the little fellow and it jumped from my hands, running away towards the bushes that cornered the house. Probably, it was the little rabbit's family, calling it.

I couldn't help but to feel somehow surprised. No animal had ever been friendly with me. Not even the dogs that Shinra kept around the facilities seemed to have any fondness of me, unlike so many Soldiers that accompanied me, that always patted kindly the fur of said animals, earning barks of joy in return.

It was a strange sensation, this sudden creature keenness towards me.

* * *

><p><strong>Sora <strong>

* * *

><p>When I woke up I was alone in the house again.<p>

And I was starving. Getting up slowly, I made my way to the kitchen and prepared my own lunch. It was already 4 p.m.

I dozed off the rest of the afternoon. I couldn't focus on anything, that weird conversation in the kitchen and then in my bedroom replaying constantly in my head.

He had said he was sorry - sorry for not being able of speaking his mind. And I had backed him off with though words. He didn't explain himself and I didn't ask for further explanations. Well maybe I should have.

Were we condemned to misunderstand each other's words repeatedly?

Sighing loudly, I went outside for a little while. It was almost nighttime, the sky held already that typical orange-pink tone, a clear sign that the sun was withdrawing.

Suddenly I heard something close to the house. My wary eyes searched for something, all around me, but I didn't find anything. Or anyone.

That muffled rushing noise sounded again. This time, I could grasp from where it came from. This time, I could also grasp who it was.

_The General_.

I felt a sudden heat invading my cheeks. He had surprised me, it was a fact. His hard stare was on me the whole time – while he stepped, slowly, to meet me in the porch.

There wasn't much I could do at this point. Our gazes were constantly locked, transpiring an awkward connection between us, flowing something from him to me… something unspeakable.

"So, I assume you're feeling better."

His tone was unbiased, as always.

"I'm fine." I said, my voice firm. Gradually, I managed to unlock my gaze from his. I focused on something green in front of me, instead.

Understanding my uneasiness, he passed by me with no further words and he went inside the house.

I breathed in and out, slowly, silently, with my eyes closed. God, this man held a terrible power over me. He was able to affect me terribly. I had to do something about that. This wasn't – simply – healthy.

Now with the dark bluish tone of the imminent night's arrival, I decided to go inside as well. Once inside the kitchen, I closed lazily the porch doors. However, I noticed something strange while I was at it.

There were small marks – brown marks – on the kitchen floor. In pairs, symmetrically disposed, those marks went from the kitchen… to the hall.

_Oh, no. _

"Oh, shit." I whispered. Damn, damned rabbit. I couldn't believe it was inside the house. "Shit!"

Instinctively, I followed the marks. In the hall, the brown marks slowly faded, but were noticeable. I tried to focus and see in which direction those marks were headed. The conclusion couldn't be more obvious. I almost felt my heart stopping when I realized the marks were headed to the left. To _his_ bedroom.

_Oh, my God…_, my mind declared, despaired.

I walked swiftly towards his bedroom, hoping he wasn't there. Maybe he was in the dojo, or somewhere else. _Please, please, don't be in there_…, my mind pleaded.

But I had no such luck.

As I reached the open door of his bedroom, I was surprised with a rather unexpected scene. The general stood, next to his bed, completely dressed as before – jacket and sword in his left hand – and… _Snowflake_, silent and comfy, resting on the palm of his right hand. His stare was on me, as if he was expecting me already.

I felt at a complete loss of words, but I managed to say something.

"Oh. I… I'm sorry, I…"

All I could think was how, how could the rabbit behave so neatly with him. Him, of all persons! Was this even real? Snowflake held the most peaceful expression.

"I didn't let it come in, I swear." I alleged, suddenly.

"Aha." The General said, disarming me completely. Great, now he didn't believe me. Could this get any worse?

"You have to believe me, I closed the doors. I…" _Oh-uh_. Now I remembered. "…Oh, I went outside for a moment…"

Yeah, nice. I had to admit in front of him that I had lowered my guard and allowed an intrusive rodent inside _his_ house.

"Did it ruin anything?" I said, remembering his sudden mention to nibbling.

"Not that I know of."

His tone was dead neutral. He seemed like a statue, holding an embalmed animal. It looked like the rabbit was hypnotized or something.

"Okay." God, it was a relief, really. However, a terrible thought crossed my mind. "You're not going to kill it, aren't you?"

"Why would I do that?" His tone sounded genuinely surprised.

"Well, you're… your sword and…"

"I'm always with my sword on."

"Don't kill it, please." I said, practically begging. Then, the unexpected came out of my mouth. "It's the only company I have. Please."

My complexion must have mirrored the despair I felt. My eyes were on his, only a couple of meters apart. His face held the strangest expression, while he was processing my last words very slowly.

He stepped towards me, after putting his sword aside. His eyes held a shine I didn't see many times. Finally, he talked, with Snowflake on his hand the whole time.

"It's the only company you have?"

He sounded slightly offended. Now, that's all I needed. More misunderstandings.

"That's not what I meant…" But it was, indeed. And he knew, as well as I did, that I felt completely alone in this place most part of the time. "You have things to do the whole day, I understand that, but… it's… inevitable. I do feel… lonely."

His face showed now melancholy. It was somehow odd, since I was the one dealing with loneliness the whole day, constantly, week after week, since we got here. Very rarely I exposed my deep feelings to him, but now, I had to admit, it was necessary. Eventually, he was the one surprising me with mild words.

"I am… really sorry that I…"

"It's okay. Really."

_Don't say anything about it anymore. It's enough…_, my mind completed the sentence. It was really something, my sudden incapability of speaking out all my thoughts to him.

"No, it's not okay." He said, abruptly. "Even this animal can make you happier than-"

Oh my God, no. Not that way, please.

"Please." I cut him. It felt somehow… necessary. "Don't say anything else."

"I can't… I…" He was fighting with words, trying to tell me something. My eyes were on his the whole time, and his expression was almost painful now. Painful, then angry, then painful again. Those were strange transitions. At last, I heard his firm voice once more.

"Can you… do that again?"

_What_? I raised my eyebrows at his question.

"Do… what?"

"Laugh."

As a reflex, I giggled, smiling as well. I couldn't believe he was asking me _that_. However, his reaction couldn't be more surprising. His face seemed to lighten up, and even Snowflake kept motivated on his hand. In fact, the little white rabbit seemed to be in consonance with us both. It was like he was creating a bridge between us, helping me and him to reinforce our proximity.

Before I knew it, the General had put Snowflake in my hands, closing what was left of the space between us. I felt his hair tickling my arms, while his hands rested close to mine, a total of four hands enveloping that cute white rabbit, docile as if it had been tamed.

My eyes focused on that white fur ball for a while, but then I searched for his eyes. What did this mean, after all? What were we doing, after all? Where did we stand, from here?

_What is this, that sometimes flows between us_?

I didn't know if it was (really) something or if it had a name or not… but I enjoyed the sensation. It was warming, it was comfortable. It felt tender.

His hands moved suddenly and the rabbit seemed to return to its usual self once again. It jumped from our grasp and it left, running off the bedroom.

"Oh!" I said, instinctively, startled with such speedy reaction.

I had no idea how to get out of this situation. I enjoyed very much this affectionate part of him, but his constant unpredictability made me feel uncomfortable around him.

Before I knew it, I sensed one of his fingers in my face. Not pushy, not forcing me to face him. Only… caressing my cheek.

_Oh, my God_…, I thought, feeling lost.

Before I could stare at him again, he talked, with his face now very close to mine, his chin almost touching my forehead.

"Can you do that for me?"

Well I had to look at him to find out what on Earth he was talking about anyway.

"Just once." He reinforced, when my eyes found his.

"You mean…" I couldn't believe this.

"Can you smile for me?" He asked, genuinely. "Can you do it, or… am I not fit for that?"

It sounded like we were having a misplaced conversation of some sort.

"Don't say that." I said, not knowing how I would proceed. "If you want to, you can be fit for… _that_."

"I want to." He answered, swiftly.

"Then all you have to do is…" Oh, God, were there words to express this? I guess there weren't. So, I put my small, trembling hand on his chest, next to the place where his heart was beating and I let out what was going on in my mind in that exact moment. "…follow what's in here."

His stare followed my hand and he studied me, my words carefully.

Suddenly, I felt his hand on my own. The warmth irradiating from him was definitely something I could get accustomed to.

"Here?" He quoted, taken a little bit by surprise. I wondered if he understood what I meant.

I nodded in response.

"Every time?"

"No… not every time." I smiled, realizing how fun it would eventually turn out if he actually did what he was saying. "Or you would become incongruously grevious." I let out a small chuckle. His face, so beautiful, so amazingly receptive, irradiated something that certainly was very close to joy.

"It's rather soothing." He said, barely audible. His eyes, bore on mine, almost made my knees falter.

"What is?" I realized my voice was failing.

"The sound you make when you laugh." His voice sounded now like a sexy form of whisper. "It makes me want to… be capable of eliciting that sound from you."

Astonishment invaded me. _What is he saying_?

"Why would you want to be capable of doing that?"

"That's what my heart tells me."

"Oh…" Right, _oh_. Not a chance of verbal coherency at this moment. "I-I don't know what to say…" I didn't, really. I didn't even know how I felt – the amount of emotions mixed inside me was debilitating – clearly - my lucidity.

"Don't say anything." He suddenly declared, while his index finger touched randomly my hair line, next to my forehead, then my right ear, reaching finally my chin, where he applied a small pressure. Reflexively, my lips parted slightly.

I searched for his eyes. I had to know what he wanted… but I was afraid of finding something I didn't like in there. Or… worse, not being able of finding anything at all. To find emptiness inside those green, alien eyes… was something I hadn't been able to handle just yet.

I blinked. He just stared, while his finger seemed to remain forgotten somewhere in my face. I blinked once again.

Then, all that stillness changed. It happened so fast, I couldn't predict his move. Suddenly, I felt a face collide softly with mine. A nose, soft breathing and the warmth of a human body… smooth, decisive lips on mine, while one of his hands, now more demanding, held my face close to his own.

I felt myself floating, almost an outer-body experience. I know, it was somehow exaggerated but… it was really how I felt.

It was like a dream bubble. Me, him, in this place, together. I did not want to wake up, I did not want it to end.

_Ever_.

His sexy voice sounded suddenly, and I experienced how his tasty lips moved against mine, while he spoke against my mouth.

"Do you want me to?"

_What is he talking about_? The most curious about our recent dialogue was, without a doubt, the fact of never breaking the contact. Our lips remained touching, while the words simply came out.

"W-What?"

He answered me with a shift in his lips. I didn't see what he was doing, but I recognized the pattern, mainly because it was something very rare to happen. He was _smiling_. His smiling lips against my own.

I was in heaven.

"You're terrible…" I said, smiling as well. It was impossible to miss my teasing tone.

"Am I?" He answered, rewarding me with the sexiest chuckle I had ever heard in my life. It was the first time I was listening to him laughing quietly. Sadly, as I had my eyes closed, I couldn't see him. But I was willing to bet he would be simply beautiful.

_For a change_…, my mind mocked at myself.

Now, I felt as well the smooth surface of his teeth against my lips as well.

"You can do it too…" I said, laying down my arms to him, completely. I hoped he could understand I was referring to his ability of smiling, also.

"It's you." He said, now parting a little from me. I opened my eyes and I could only see his stare, his face mere inches from mine. "It's you, simply…"

He didn't finish his sentence. All I felt was the overwhelming effect of those simple words, confessing me I had the capacity of making him smile. I didn't know what to say, all I could feel was happiness, in its purest and finest form.

_Is this real_?

But yes, it was real. He was right there, in front of me, holding me gently, staring at me tenderly, and all I could sense was how intense this emotion was, how loved I felt, how special he made me feel… for something as simple as smiling.

Thank you, _Snowflake_, for bringing us together.

Thank you, little white rabbit.

**The end…**


End file.
